The Silent, The Quiet, The StillThe Ghost Part 1
by tina marie zimmer
Summary: Hotchner thinks there is a mole in the Burro, so he hires the only person he trusts to become a profiler and find the mole, an under cover agent goes missing in vegas and the team is hired to find her, can they, or will they loose one of their own trying?
1. Chapter 1 The Missing

The Silent, The Quite, The Still, Criminal Minds

(based upon the TV Series Criminal Minds)

(I do not own Criminal Minds, all characters are from Criminal Minds or based on character already created on Criminal Minds, I own only my imagination)

Chapter 1- missing

"Why are you doing this?" Maria asks, "Please let me go." She pleads as the man with the knife cuts at her skin searching for something.

"I can't hear them, I can't hear them, silence, quiet, be still, you are making me lose my consideration. I must hear what they say, only they can tell me how to find it in you, quiet, the experiment is almost complete." The man says and leaves her side to go to the camera moments later, "can't you hear them, don't you hear them, they are telling me to send you to them. They want you, you are the one they wish to take up there, not me. It should be me, not you, you are nothing. I won't give you to them. I will do my own experiments before they can get you. You are mine to work with, not theirs." He says then turns on a camera and leaves the room.

"Let me out!" Maria cries as she watches the camera in silence willing someone to see her.

* * *

><p>Agent Talbot Parker walks out of the store. She was running late for everything. She had to get to work, and bring the groceries home, and pretend to be a BAU profiler which she really didn't want to do, but if it hadn't been for Aaron she would be dead, so she was doing him a favor, still this was not shaping up to be a great day. She had promised Agent Aaron Hotchner she would be in his office at the BAU at 7:00 am that was in ten minutes, he had questions and working for the FBI's Internal Affairs gave her access to information not otherwise available. She had to become part of the team to find the mole, and she was almost positive that Hotchner knew who the mole was, but needed her to verify it. Keeping Prentice in the wind was not an easy task when she was so well loved. It pained her to have to lie to the unit. But that was the name of the game in IA, and she was a profiler, she just was the one who had to profile co-workers, not criminals. Her phone rang, expecting it to be Hotchner she answers it, not him, "Agent Parker here, what did you find out?" she asks the phone, "When? How long has she been off radar? Get her location; I'm not going to ask you twice?" the person on the other end of the phone was speaking fast, "not good enough, find her, find her now, get back to me within the hour. I don't have time for it wasn't my fault, you find her or I will. And if I have to you will be out of a job before you can say I'm sorry." She hangs up the phone, disgust on her face, she is immediately not looking forward to the rest of the day. Opening her car door her phone rings again, "Agent Parker here, what do you need?" she asks, only then realizing it was Aaron's voice talking to her across the line, "really, I'll be right in, give me, twenty minutes," Aaron speaks again, "Tell me you don't really believe that," Talbot says, "Aaron, I will do my best to be part of the team, just don't let anyone know who I really am or what my purpose is, the Burro didn't retire me at twenty five because I wanted to be retired, they did it for totally different reasons. But I am back because you asked me, so I will do my best to get the job done, but don't expect miracles. I don't have the best track record for staying out of trouble." Aaron says some things to her, "We have to make them believe that I am joining the team. It is for the best, Emily was sold out, and I won't let that person get away with it. See you in your office in twenty." Talbot says and hanging up the phone before Aaron can bring up The Ghost.<p>

"Looks like you are going to spoil," Talbot says driving her car out of the parking lot and heading for the BAU.

* * *

><p>She walks into the BAU, past Reid, Seaver, Morgan, JJ, and Rossi, and strait to Hotchner's office. She knocks and enters without hesitance.<p>

"Come in," Aaron says, "Close the door Parker."

This didn't make Talbot calm, she knew he had something to ask her, and she knew it had nothing to do with Emily. "What can I do for you today Hotchner?" Talbot asks calmly, they have to play this carefully, the team is watching, and this has to be a show for them.

"I found something in your background that worries me; it makes me wonder if you are fit for the job."

"What's the problem sir?" she asks with ease as she sits down on the coach just inside the door knowing full well what he is going to ask her about, The Ghost.

"Duluth Minnesota, West Pensacola Florida, Myrtle Beach South Carolina, Boston Massachusetts , Point Hope Alaska. These places all have one thing in common and that is you. Is this going to be a problem?" Aaron asks, "Mind you they are watching, and they are as good at profiler as you are. So I need a straight answer, if this will affect the ability you have to evaluate this team and profile the cases we will be working on while you are here I need to know."

"Aaron, you know what it is like to lose some one, you know what it is like to be the focus of a Serial Killer, did that affect the way you did your job?" Talbot asks not answering the question. "I can't give you the answer you want. All I can say is I am a profiler, you asked me back, I didn't volunteer."

"Parker I need an answer, this pertains to my team, and if you can't say that you can handle this professionally, then I will have to find a different agent."

"Aaron," she says standing up, "my job is all I have left." She walks over to his desk, "that UnSub who is profiled in all those cases, first in 2003, then by me in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, and earlier this year 2011, is the same UnSub, and if an UnSub took, everyone you have ever loved, and you had to move on to stay alive, what would you do? Hunt him down and seek justice, or hid under the bed like a cowering child? It is hard to face evil, but in the BAU that is your job, and now my job. I've been hiding from him for seven years, and he always finds me. My job will not be compromised; rather your team will be stronger for it. That UnSub took part of my life, but I am stronger than that and I can move on. The scars are still there, and I have to deal with them, but no part of this investigation will be harp ended by my past. I will do everything within my power to find the mole, and I will be sure to keep you informed. I will protect your team from the mole as you want me to." Talbot says and starts to turn, "We all have ghosts Aaron, mine is just still out there."

"Is he still hunting you?" Aaron asks, as Talbot turns for the door.

Talbot held back the tears, "Aaron," she says in a whisper he almost can't hear, "he has never stopped."

Aaron gets up and goes to her side, "This place will eat at you endlessly Talbot, maybe you aren't the one who should be investigating this, maybe you shouldn't return to the BAU."

"Aaron," Talbot says facing him, "There is no one else you trust in all of the FBI. I am the only one you trust outside of JJ, and she is too close to everyone to investigate the mole in the Burro. They can't go after my family; he already killed them all. They can't go after my team, he killed them all too. I have no one, no family save you and Jack. I am your only option. This is personal for all of you. Even Seaver is affected by it. I know you think you can find the mole, but I have worked for this agency for seven years, and trust me, they cover their tracks well. I'll find the one who sold her out; don't worry about that, just keep the team alive, and I'll worry about the rest."

"I have to keep you alive too."Aaron says.

"Therein lies the beauty," Talbot says, "I would welcome it, so long as I don't surrender to it. Not that I have much choice considering my current situation."

"Speaking of that situation, you are cleared to fly and for duty."

"Yes, and waiting patiently for that to be taken away too."

"We meet in the conference room in five, Garcia found something." Aaron says as Talbot leaves closing his door, he didn't like calling in other units, but something had to be done, and she was good at her job. He just hoped he wasn't going to regret it. He knew what had happened to her in Alaska, and knew that she was still healing, but she was the only person he knew who could get close to the truth and not give it away that she was looking, she was the only one without ties to the team.

* * *

><p>Derek watches the woman walk to Hotchner's office with not a glance at any of the unit members. She is a bold woman he could tell, her dirty blond hair is long and strait and he notices that it is well taken care of. She is confident as she passes the whole team. Reid walks over to his side, "Do you know who that is?" he says knowing full well the identity of the woman.<p>

"No," Derek says, "but I don't like it, she walks in here like she owns the place, like she is better than us, and that just doesn't sit well with me."

"If you are presuming she is against you, then you are jumping to conclusions that can't be backed up by even a profile, she may see herself as confident in front of you and the rest of us so she can appear as having strength that you and I can't see. I know who she is and I find it fascinating and shocking that she is back at the BAU."

"Reid, I respect her, I don't have any reason not to, and I'm just pointing out the boldness she exhibits as she moves about the unit."

"If I were in her shoes I would demand respect the same as she; I just want to know why she is back, last I heard she was not based out of a unit, but rather a floater that goes from unit to unit pre-evaluating each case and seeing if it merits FBI involvement."

" You are right Reid she was a floater before she retired, she is well respected, if not hated in some areas of the states." JJ states from behind them.

"Really," Reid says, "I didn't know they retired her, if she is back, then she has not been involved with profiling for two years, the last time I saw her name on a case file was 2009, that was three years ago, JJ who retired her?"

"Straus," JJ says as Rossi joins them.

"I still don't like the way she walks in here, and I do respect her, I just feel that she should show this place some respect and acknowledge the team." Derek pipes in.

"True, but Morgan, you introduce me as Dr. Reid to influence others to respect me, if I am correct she is twenty seven, so she may feel like she has to demand the respect that otherwise would not be given."

"Maybe you should stop profileing her, she doesn't look like she wants to be profiled, let alone in that room with Hotch," David states looking up at Hotchner's office, "It would seem premature to judge her, she appears as unhappy to be here as you are to have her here. I know some about the case that basically forced her retirement, and if you thought Foyet was bad, that was nothing compared to what she went through. I worked with her when she was a new agent, she was good. I don't know how she is now, but we can give her a chance. Now come on we are needed in the conference room." Rossi says as he sees Garcia move down the hall to the conference room.

* * *

><p>In the conference room, Garcia stands waiting with her pigtails and half smile, which is hard to believe considering what she is putting on the board. Once everyone is seated Aaron speaks, "Everyone, this is Agent Talbot Parker, she will be joining our team on special cases that require more profilers, and some of her abilities. Today's case is one such case."<p>

"This is the picture of the undercover FBI Agent Maria Jensen, 27, she went missing from her Vegas home two days ago, I was alerted to the disappearance an hour after she disappeared, ten minutes ago I received this from Las Vegas PD." Penelope says and turns on the video. "It is still streaming, we haven't closed it down due to the nature of the video, local law enforcement believe it would bring about a premature ending to Maria's life."

The group watches in horror as the agent is filmed in a room, wearing jeans and a tank, bloodied, and cut. The caption below the film reads, _You Won't Get Her, she is mine. _Behind that was a clock that read the time in Nevada, with a small clock below the video, 25:31.24 and was counting down.

"Is there vocal to the video?" Derek asks.

"No," Penelope says then hands out file folder.

"Garcia can I see that video again?" Talbot asks.

"Sure, why?"

"I think she was talking, I wasn't looking at her mouth when I first watched it but I think she was talking."

"Sure," Penelope says and plays the video again.

"She is talking," Derek adds.

" 'I don't hear them, where are you going, please help, let me out, there is no one there, there are no voices, I don't want to go with them, not space dust, not space dust, why are you doing this, I wasn't taken, let me go, let me go, let me go,' Garcia can you stream this live?" Talbot asks.

"Sure, here," Penelope states setting her laptop down before Talbot after hooking up to the link. "There it is."

Talbot watches for something, anything for the girl to say. " 'don't cut me again, it's not in me, I don't have a chip, I wasn't taken, leave me along you sicko, it wasn't my fault, I don't hear them, I want you to let me go, why won't you just let me go, I can't help you, I don't know anything, I just want to go home, home isn't up there, they are not home,' she isn't saying anything, there is someone else in the room, 'this is my home planet, why me, I just went to the club, that doesn't make me one of them…' ah, don't need to say that," Talbot states.

"You read lips," Derek states with a look at Talbot, "that's a talent."

"Thanks, but what does anything she is saying tell us about her captor, he sounds like he is expecting _Close Encounters of the Third Kind_, and not the FBI."

"It does sound like that, and she mentioned a club, we have to find out what club she is talking about." Spencer states. "And Vegas has a lot of them."

"But what makes these women trust, this man doesn't have, if a man was sputing that aliens were coming I wouldn't be running to join with him." JJ adds.

"It tells me that he is not mentally stable, she talks about space dust, I've done a lot of drug research for other case and don't know anything about that one." Talbot says.

"It may be his name for a drug that he uses on them to make them submissive to him, which leads me to my next question, where on his time line are we?" Rossi askes. "And what made him go public with this?"

"Vegas PD has asked for our help in finding her before the clock runs out of time." JJ says then looks at the photo again, "Garcia did you cross check this with other video's shut down by the FBI in the last two years?"

"Yes," Penelope states, "Partly why I picked the case, I found twenty-nine other cases that involved women matching the same age and physical description…" she trailed off.

"Garcia, how many that were women of that age group?" Ashley asks.

"Forty-seven" Penelope states, "They are on a tight schedule, and they want to bring her home safe, while they leave up the video they know she is still alive. If it is taken off, they fear she will lose any chance of being brought back alive."

"Garcia," Talbot states, "Were any of the other women agents, police, or law enforcement officials?"

"Two undercover agents, and three police officers, but none from the Las Vegas area," Penelope adds then sits down beside Seaver.

"Plane leaves in 30 min. we are this woman's only help. We will start the profile on the plane. Garcia we may need you in Vegas join us on the plane. See you all in thirty."

* * *

><p>Of those who say nothing, few are silent. ~Thomas Neiel<p>

* * *

><p>The plane was in the air no longer that ten minutes when Hotchner starts to gather the group, "So how do we find this UnSub, what does the video tell us about him?"<p>

"The wounds look shallow, and seem to be specific not hesitant. I would say he is confident," Derek states, "He feels in control of the situation. It says in the file, that none of the women have ever been found. So these missing women show up on the internet, then after the time runs out they vanish. We have no proof that he kills them, but these women are all missing, and most fit the same basic physical description. It seems for him that dark blond, late twenties, tall, and fit women fit his type. My only question is… where are they?"

"And if they are dead, where did he dispose of them?" Rossi says.

"These are not submissive women, they are fighters, and they won't give up. It feels like a taunt. 'look at who I have, can you save her, you didn't save the others.' He seems to be bold." David states.

"I think he is delusional," Talbot states.

Everyone looks at her in question.

"Probably a delusional schizophrenic, based on what the girl said he thinks he hears voices, and that they want her. So he tries to remove the chips that aliens place in the humans they wish to abduct. He's probably being told by his delusions that he's not good enough and they don't want him."

"We should also look for someone with medical back ground," Spencer says, "these cuts look like they were done with a scalpel, and they are very precise, so this UnSub was likely going to school for some medical field before the illness set in."

"Parker work on the video on the plane and once we land, then go check out the victim's house with Morgan see what you can find, Rossi and Reid, you two search all the maps of Vegas and locate a comfort zone, use all the info we have to locate possible dump sites, and a possible home base, and find this club. Garcia you go to the police station and get set up then look for any and all similarities between the video victims, send Parker all finding where the women are talking, I'll take Seaver and check out her undercover base, and get in touch with Maria's handler, "JJ, talk to the chief see what they are doing to keep this on the hush with the press, the people of Las Vegas will eat this up if the press gets wind of it before we have a profile to give them." Aaron says.

"We should talk to her friends and see if they know if she was hanging out with anyone out of the ordinary lately, if this guy has a ruse to get them to go with him, then they may be able to shed some light on the route he uses to get what he is searching for." Talbot states, "You never know, one of her friends may be missing and not reported, considering her undercover work, and the location of her house, she was not living in the best part of town."

"And you know this how?" Derek asks.

Talbot looks over at him, and with a calm that reminds him of Emily says, "this isn't my first time working a case in Vegas, let us hope this one has a better ending than my last one did."

"Alright, you all know what to do, we land shortly." Aaron says.

"Don't mind him," JJ states to Talbot, "he just has a hard time letting people in."

"Sometimes letting people in is harder than not, but those who we let in make all the difference." Talbot states, "Sorry, wisdom sometimes slips out before I can catch it."

"No worries, he'll warm up to you." JJ states and goes to get a cup of coffee.


	2. The Silent

Chapter 2 Chapter 2: The Silent

(based upon the TV Series Criminal Minds)

(I do not own Criminal Minds, all characters are from Criminal Minds or based on character already created on Criminal Minds, I own only my imagination)

Derek exits the SUV and walks around the back while Talbot exits the passenger side with a cringe, she covers up quickly. This flying stuff was getting to be too hard, but it was her job, and she had nothing else so she did it, and to tell the truth she was glad to have this job again. Deep down she missed it. Covering her pain quickly she stands up confident and tall, walks to the back of the SUV to join Derek.

"So…" Derek starts, "You've been rather quiet, something bothering you?"

"No, just interesting."

"What is?"

"Looking over the videos I found most of them all have similar cuts that are shallow, and other injuries that are not cuts. The girls in some say don't bring him back in here. I don't want to see him, but then they are talking about not seeing someone and not hearing voices."

"And, what is bothering you about this?"

"I don't know Morgan, it's like she is talking about two people. It sounds like one has schizophrenia while suffering from delusions. Yet I get a sense of Folie á Deux, and a feeling that the one in the room with our victim is not the one in control."

"So you think we are dealing with multiple UnSubs." Derek says and grabs his phone. "If you think that I better tell Garcia to include that in the profile." He says then calls Penelope.

"Tell her to also look for anything in the video's that is the same, and look for sweat mixed with blood. If there are multiple UnSub, and their location is in Vegas, the heat index is in the hundreds, and that would appear on the video if the place lack air. Judging by the condition of the rooms that I have seen, this place is abandoned thus no air. It may help us locate his current whereabouts. Talbot states as they cross the police line, "Look," she states pointing to the door, "If that wasn't forced I don't know what was."

"So one on the Unsubs obviously wasn't invited in," Derek states as they walk through the house.

"This place doesn't look lived in," Talbot adds opening the refrigerator, "There isn't even milk in the fridge, all that is in here; is a brick of cheese, and two eggs. That is enough to make an omelet, but nothing else."

"No dishes either," Derek adds and starts walking down the hall to the bedrooms,

"She obviously wasn't married, or didn't show it, she seems not to have any belongings in this place," Talbot states, "I don't see a single photo, not even of her parents, or friends. It's like she is… I don't know, hiding."

"Hiding?" Derek asks, "How do you mean?"

"Think about it, this is her home, this place should be where she feels safe and can reflect her inner person. If she feels threatened or in danger, or by chance if that safety is taken away then what is natural to a person to do; hide, take down all the personal items that reflect you and vanish. I f think she knew she was in danger and she started to hid. Do you get the feeling of being safe?"

"Not really. Come on let's check out the bedroom." Derek says and starts to walk down the hall as Talbots phone starts to ring. She pulls it out.

"Agent Parker," she listens to the message, "took you long enough, are you sure, and the mix up?" the person on the phone talks, "good, now are you sure?" a pause, "then you aren't doing your job if you can't give me a straight answer, you fix this or I will. You lost her once, don't lose her again," the other person talks, "no, you stay with her I can't you have to take care of this. I can't babysit you every moment of everyday; you are 32 years old be competent and do your job. Lose her again and I'll find someone else to do the job understands." A pause while the person responded, "good." Talbot states and hangs up the phone. "Sorry, problem back at home base."

"Everything okay?" Derek asks and walked in to the bedroom.

"Yep, just have to get some of my coworkers to start doing their jobs so I don't have to."

"Okay, so this is where it happened." He stated as the phone rang, "Tell me you have good news and we are not alone."

"Always for you sugar, and PG it is, okay I searched the video frame by frame, and I found one frame that gives us a reflection of the UnSub, then I cross checked the women missing with Vegas, and they all visited the same casino a block off the strip, old strip not new one. And bingo, I got names, ten names, actually, but one stands out, Jason Dylan, 43, did some time in prison for theft of medical electronics, and was held as a suspect in a rape, but the case was thrown out due to a technicality."

"What was the technicality?" Talbot asked.

"Miranda rights were not read to him prior to being questioned, and his lawyer got his confession thrown out. The reason he stands out is because he lives only two blocks from where she lives, and works at the same casino that all these women have in common, not to mention he appears in an article having claimed to have been abducted by aliens. I've already informed Reid of the addresses and we are looking into finding where the women stayed when they were in Vegas. Two women don't match up to the case, a Lisa Rippley, and Lillian Ravenwood. I found video's on both of them, and they don't fit, because they were never at the casino, and they wore gags."

"You won't find them there either," Talbot states, "Those two will not match, they were found, so those two are not the ones we are looking for, besides they were from an undercover trafficking ring bust."

"Alright, and I am off. Time me my lovelies," Penelope states hanging up the phone.

"How do you know that Lisa and Lillian aren't part of the case?"

"Well Morgan, I said this wasn't my first time in Vegas. Lisa was the reason I came two years ago. Lisa was investigating a traffic ring, and Lillian went in after her. It didn't end well, I lost Lisa, and almost died myself."

"I see, so what did you profile then that can help us find the UnSub this time, what was different."

"Well first off, she didn't do home invasions." Talbot states.

"Did you hear that?" Derek asks, "I think it came from the closet."

"Och," Talbot says moving her hand to her neck.

"Parker," Derek asks, "what happened?"

"I…" she starts then the floor is coming, she tries to struggle past the darkness, but it consumes her.

"Parker…" Derek says but something hits him. He stands up and turns to face the closet just as his phone starts to ring. He reaches for it; hit the answer button, "Garcia-" he manages before the same darkness claims him.

"Derek, Derek!" Penelope hollers over the phone. Then the line goes dead as a man pushes the end button. He takes the credentials and guns from each of the agents, grabs their phones and tosses them on the bed. Grabbing Derek by the arm he drags him out the back door and into a van. Then he grabs Talbot and drags her to the van too. He ties their hands behind their backs before closing the door and driving away.

* * *

><p>"Derek, Derek!" Penelope hollers into the phone, "no, no, no!" she hollers and starts to type quicker to trace Derek's phone.<p>

Just then Aaron walks in, "Garcia what's wrong?"

"He's gone, they're gone, I-" panic takes hold "I-the line went dead, nothing, they are gone, not answering."

"Keep trying." Aaron says and leaves the room to find the rest of the team. "Reid, tell me you have something, anything that will help us find the UnSub."

"This area," Reid states, "The only over lap is a small area of about four blocks, and Jason's house is in this area."

"We have to move faster, Rossi, you and JJ go check on Morgan and Parker, they aren't answering their phones, and take a few officers with you. The forensic team released the scene earlier today, but Morgan should have called by now."

"On it." David says then follows Aaron, "So what's wrong, I sense a problem."

"Garcia was calling them back to answer a question and all she heard was Morgan say 'Garcia' and then silence, followed by the line going dead. Be careful something is wrong, and I think Parker and Morgan are in trouble."

"I'll call as soon as I know anything." David says, "Aaron, tell Reid, and Seaver, I'll tell JJ on the way, we can't have them loosing it if this goes wrong."

"Just stay safe, we don't need to lose track of anyone else in this investigation."

David nodes and joins JJ at the elevator.

* * *

><p>Derek opens his eyes, head pounding he looks around. The room's dark, a small amount of light comes in from a barred window. Looking around he sees chains and in the corner there is a camera. "Talbot?"<p>

"Derek?" a voice whispers.

"Talbot, are you okay,"

"Derek…where are we?" Talbot asks trying to sit up, but there it was, the pain that she was hiding from, the … she couldn't breathe for a moment.

"I don't know," Derek says moving closer to Talbot, "are you hurt?"

"Morgan, are we being taped?" she asks as Derek moves to her side.

"Derek, and I don't think so." Derek says to help her relax.

"Then you can call me Talli." She says trying to hold back a new wave of pain.

"What is wrong?"

"Don't tell anyone, not even Hotch."

"I won't." Derek says as he looks her over for wounds sustained since they passed out in the house.

"I'm bleeding and they can't make it stop. There isn't enough tissue to fix it, so I am on pain meds until I have healed enough to have surgery again." Talbot states, "Internally," she adds as he looked for an injury he had not previously found. "It is old, and I have been dealing with it for six months, they almost have it stopped, but it still hurts on occasion. He's going to put time clocks on us too isn't he?"

"I think he already has." Derek says. "Don't move."

"You know I have to act tough. I have no other options." Talbot states as her vision blurs, "Derek, is he going to kill us? I'm not thinking straight, I can't seem to think this through. What is he planning? Do we know the outcome of these videos?"

"I don't know what will happen, but I won't let you die, do you hear me, I won't, not on my watch." Derek says as he sits next to Talbot on the floor.

"Okay, let's think about this, where are we?"

"Don't know, but we have to figure that out" Derek says as the door swings open and a man enters. Derek tries to stand, only to feel the world spin. "Don't even try." The man says as he takes a crowbar and hits Derek with it. "It is not worth it, I'm working on her first." He says and drags Talbot from the room. "They want you more than him."

Derek tries to stand again, this time he gains his feet; he can feel his bruised rib where the crow bar connected. This is not right, he says to himself. Just then he hears the silence, a silence more deafening than anything he has ever heard before. He sinks to the floor and sits there waiting and trying to find a way to get out. He has to get to Talbot, and Maria. He looks around the room, he could see the sunlight, and it was streaming in, that told him the building window faces the west, for it was only 3:00 pm. Unless he had been out longer than he had thought. He couldn't think strait, whatever the UnSub gave him it was affecting his mind. Just then there was a scream that instinctively he thought belonged to Talbot. He pounds his fist against the floor. He can't lose another team member, he lost Emily, a good and close friend, and he wasn't willing to lose Talbot, a woman he was just getting to know. Moments later the man enters again, Derek is ready this time, he jumps to his feet and stands ready to attack.

"You don't want to be doing that." The UnSub says holding out a gun and pointing it directly at Derek's chest. "You are next Agent Morgan. We will see if you last longer that the last did."

"You're really going to do this?"

"You were getting too close. You were going to find the truth. I couldn't let you get the truth, you must be with them, I must find out the truth. I haven't tried it on a man yet, we will see how you do when you are at deaths door step."

"Where is Agent Parker?" Derek asks as the UnSub tosses him a set of hand cuffs.

"Put these on and I will show you where she is. There is so much to learn about the human body, and so much to understand. I can't possibly learn it all from one subject. It is a good thing that so many hospitals need supplies it gives me a way to dispose of the bodies, and we all know that they should be used for research rather than just to rot in the ground. Now walk! They tell me how to do it all, and they will take me when they are ready, but they won't take anyone before they take me. I won't let them." he says and leads Derek down a hall to a room with three chairs in it. One held Maria, and one held Talbot, the other is to hold him.

"Now sit in the chair." The UnSub says and hits Derek over the head with the gun, "and don't try anything or the other agent dies." He says and Derek looks up at Talbot to see pure determination in her eyes and blood soaking her hair. "Oh, Agent Morgan I haven't started the experiments on Agent Parker here, I just finished the ones on Agent Jensen. Now we just have to see if she makes her dead line, she only has a few hours." The UnSub straps Derek to the chair his head still pounding, his movements slow and his can't think straight.

"What do you get out of this? What point can this serve?" Derek asks.

"I must complete my experiments, only then will the world know that I could stop them. They have to know, they have to. I must stop them before they get here and have nothing to take. They took me, and I must not let them take any others. I must know what they know, and my experiments are going to tell me that, but first I must remove your chip, the way I did the other Agents."

"Who?" Talbot asks, "Who took you?"

Suddenly he points to the ceiling and cries "them, can't you hear them, they know and I have to know what they know. I can't stop until I know. They tell me what to do, and how the experiments work, I just do them. I must do them. That is how I will know… I must know…I must know…" he babbles on.

"What must you know?" Talbot asks.

"How to wound and not kill!" he hollers. "Silence! Listen to them telling me what to do, they know, they always know, I will do as they say, I shall return." He adds then vanishes down the hall.

"Derek, she won't make it unless the team finds us soon."

"Has she said anything?" he asks.

"No, he gave her a drug to silence her. She lost consciousness about five minutes ago. Derek, we can survive this, we just have to be strong and pay attention. If they put us on camera, we could get word to them that this man is most likely a schizophrenic and is having paranoid deletions."

"He fits the profile. Did Garcia say what casino it was that he worked at?"

"No." anger in his voice.

"Listen here Derek; don't get angry with me because we are in this situation. We need to put our head together and find a way out. I'm about to black out, but I'm trying to stay conscious. My head is killing me, everything hurts, I'm bleeding, and I won't have you angry with me. We need to get out of here, because if we don't get out now, we won't make it out alive."

"Garcia had a name. She must have told the others." Derek states, "I have an idea."

"Really," Talbot says listening intently to get any and all ideas from him. She has to pay attention, even though every nerve in her body hurt and was crying with pain.

"Talli open your eyes!" Derek shouts, Talbot does so, "you have to argue with him, feed his delusion, I think that will work,

"He claimed he didn't find the chip, I have an idea, how long till they find us do you think?" Talbot asks.

"I don't know. How long were we out?"

"If she has two hours left, and we were at her house by 4:, we talked to Garcia at 11, and she has two hours left, that means we were out for around forty hours." Talbot says doing the math in her head.

"Just do what you can to make him think you hear those voices, and maybe the idea will work."

"I'll see if I can, Derek, do me a favor."

"Anything," Derek says.

"Tell Hotch not to trust Straus, I get a bad feeling about her," Talbot says as a new wave of pain robs her of breath, "I don't know if I will make it out still conscious, and he need to know that, tell him to look in my file, he will see what I suspect."

"He's coming back Talli, you just do the best you can, and we will get out of this." Derek says as the door opens and the Unsub enters.

"We will find that chip agent, we must, we can't let them eaves drop on me." The Unsub says.

"Are you Jason Dylan?" Talbot asks, hoping that Garcia was right. He pauses which tells Talbot that Garcia was right. "Jason, you don't need to look for chips in us, we don't have any."

"Yes you do, all humans do. I have one, and I can't find it. That's why they talk to me, but I'm going to get rid of yours, you will be free of them, and then I can find mine."

"No Jason, I don't have one, they have looked. I have looked, there isn't one." Talbot says.

"They don't know where to find them." They can't find them, no one can, just me."

"No Jason," Talbot says as Jason moves to stand before her, he reaches out with his hands and tears her shirt open, he jumps back in pure shock, giving Derek a view of Talbot's exposed skin covered with scars, all healed white lines. "Jason, they have looked and I don't have one, there is no chip, none. They don't put chips in humans, they don't ."

"I can still look in your head." He says and moves to get a small scalpel, "I will find it in your head."

"Jason, look at me, Jason. Are they talking to you?" Talbot asks, "Jason listen to me, are they talking to you, can you hear them?"

"Yes, and they say you lie."

"Why would I lie, what can I gain from having a chip in me? I'm not lying, I know Jason, I know what it's like to feel like they will never stop. I know how it feels to want the voices to go away. But trying to take something from me won't get them to stop. They won't quit telling you things."

"They want you, they can't have you." Jason said, "I won't let them have you. They can't, they have to take me. I want to go, you don't, you found your chip, I didn't."

"No Jason, you don't have a chip, you don't have one. They are whispering to you through the walls, it's not in your head. I hear them too." Talbot lies gracefully, her head pounding, blood in her eyes. "Jason, let me find your chip for you, if you have one I can help you. I know where to look."

Jason stops what he is doing to her arm, the scalpel just breaking the skin on her left arm. "You would do that?" He asks.

"Of course I would, I would do anything for one who hears them." Talbot says, "But you have to trust me, there are a few places that they hid the chip, I may not find it the first time."

"Tell me where it is." He says putting his slimy mouth only inches from her face.

"Some are put gently under the skin of the left elbow."

"Why would they put it there?" Jason asks completely believing what Talbot is saying. "Will they be silent?"  
>"I don't know, I'm just telling you where they can be found."<p>

"You stay I go find out." He says and leaves the room.

"What happened?"

"I was stabbed," Talbot says, "a lot."

"How did you survive?"

"It wasn't all at the same time." Talbot says, "Derek, I don't know how much longer he will believe what I am saying. He will come back in here, and when he decides I'm lying, he will…"

"We won't let that happen." Derek says. "Talli, are you still with me."

"As best I can be. How did you learn to read lips?"

"What?"

"How did you learn?" Derek asks as he works at freeing his right hand from the straps, the very same thing he was doing while Talbot was distracting Jason.

"My father was mute, so I had to learn how to read lips, because he had never been taught sign language." The over head light blinks off suddenly submerging the room in to complete darkness.

"What happened to your dad?" Derek asks still working on his arm.

"He was killed by a serial killer." Talbot says as the pounding in her head pulls her closer to unconsciousness. "Derek, how are you doing over there?"

"Just stay with me, don't let go, come on Talli! Talk to me; let me know you are still there. I want to hear your voice." Derek says, "Profile for me, give me a profile, any profile, just keep talking. Just don't be silent."


	3. The Quiet

Chapter 3: The Quiet

(based upon the TV Series Criminal Minds)

(I do not own Criminal Minds, all characters are from Criminal Minds or based on character already created on Criminal Minds, I own only my imagination)

JJ sits silently as they drive, she thinks that David has to tell her something, but is not sure what, then he breaks his strange silence, and speaks, "JJ," he clears his throat unsure how to say this, "Garcia lost contact with Agents Morgan and Parker, that's why we are going to check on them."

"What do they know?" JJ asks, worried about the possible safety of her friend and new coworker.

"Morgan said her name and the line went dead, we don't even know if Parker was there. Hotch sent us to check things out."

"Drive faster," is all JJ can say. David does just that. They pull up in front of Maria's house ten minutes later to see Derek and Talbot's SUV still parked in the drive way. "I don't like how this looks." JJ says pulling her gun as David does the same.

"We go in together through the front door, and make a clean sweep." David says and JJ nods understanding before they enter. They sweep the house quickly, ending in the bedroom.

"JJ," David says, "look, he left them here," he says pointing at the agents credentials, cell phones, and guns. "In pane site, as if they didn't matter to him."

JJ's phone rings, she puts it on speaker, "JJ and Rossi, what do you have for us Reid?"

"I found four locations in the comfort zone that would be areas that could be where he is keeping them, but I can't narrow down the search, Garcia is searching all records for something more, but we just don't have it. We need more. What do you have?" Spencer's voice muses over the phone.

"We think, he has both of them, and we believe he was not intending to take them, he doesn't have the care that would normally be taken when grabbing federal agents." David says, "The credentials, phones, and guns were tossed on the bed, more like they were in the way than they were a threat. He seemed to care more about getting them than hiding the fact that he has them."

"If what Parker said on the plane was right, then he is delusional, and his delusions needed to have Parker and Morgan." JJ says.

"But why?" David asks, "If they were getting to close to something, then why didn't he kill them?"

JJ knelt down on the floor and looked around, "If Parker was in here, then maybe the UnSub was hiding and waiting for them. If that is the case, then where was he hiding?" JJ asks as she spots something just under the bed. She pulls the covers of the bed away from the small dart, "Maybe this will tell us something about our UnSub." She says pointing to this, "If he shot them with a drug, then they could still be uncontious."

"And if he has them, there is no reason for him to search out more victims."

"We need a forensic team in here." JJ says, "If this is a drug it may help us narrow the suspect pool."

* * *

><p>Penelope is typing away at her computer trying to find anything that will lead her to Morgan and Parker, when she notices something in the live video stream. It goes black… "What?" she asks herself, the video was still on, and filming. Her fingers stop moving, the video may just be the answer she wanted. If she could follow the video feed to a location, of some kind, then she would be able to find a tower location, but with all the recent publicity in Vegas trying to pin point a cell locations is like pinning the pale on the donkey with a dart at four miles, almost impossible with all the heat and cell tower outages. That made her think, if the signals are being rerouted to compensate for the outages, then that may just give her a bread trail to follow to find a location the video is being uploaded from. Her fingers start to type when the video comes back on. She turns to watch a few moments.<p>

Maria isn't moving, blood coasts her face, and Penelope doesn't even recognized her as the woman from before, if it wasn't for the small details of the clothing and the fact that the girl was still strapped to a chair she would have thought her someone else. "That's it," Penelope says, "Hospitals, that is a hospital chair, somewhat _House on Haunted Hill_ish, but still a hospital chair. She started to type again, cross referencing all missing with the hospitals in the area, none matched. She began to ponder, stumped she walks out to talk with the group as they deliver their profile.

"Garcia, did you find anything?" Spencer asks as Aaron continues to deliver the profile they have.

"A few things of interest, first, I routed the video through the towers that it is bouncing off of, and compared that to the tower head outages in the area due to over used and the current heat index, and I found an area within the comfort zone. I tried to narrow but this guy is ready for that, he has his url siphoning off of others, and hiding in the wind. I can't get an exact location. Second, I noticed the video went dark for a moment, but the video was still streaming, when the video came back on, I noticed Maria looked really bad, but knew she was the same because her hands were still bound to the chair using straps, which made me think about that chair, which was kind of _House on Haunted Hill_ ish looking, anyways, that got me thinking of looking for a hospital. There are four hospitals in the area that I narrowed down, and only one was operational in the 1950's, Whispering Meadows established 1949. I then cross referenced all the missing with this hospital, nothing came up."

"Did you cross reference the missing with the doctor they saw rather than the hospital, for he may have been a traveling physician?"

"No," Penelope says and returns to her CIBER world. She quickly runs a check, "Good god!" she shrieks, "Hotchner," she says as she bursts from the room, "Doctor, Jason Dylan. I have 23 matches to his name, and seventeen to his partner, Doctor Murphy Stevens."

"Send us the location of the hospital, and find the location of Dr. Murphy Stevens." Aaron says as the group rushes from the room with the force of the Vegas PD behind him.

* * *

><p>JJ and David are standing in the bedroom looking around as the forensics team arrives, when JJ's phone rings again, "Jennifer Jereau," she says, then puts the phone on speaker, it is Aaron, "Rossi, JJ, I've sent you an address, we believe that is the location where our UnSub is holding Jensen, Parker and Morgan. We are on our way now. Go quiet we don't want to alarm them to our arrival."<p>

"On it," JJ says as they leave to let the forensics team take over.

* * *

><p>"Maria," Derek says as he works to get his wrist free, the lights having come back on.<p>

"Derek stop." Talbot says her head forward, blood dripping down her face. "He's coming; I can hear his footsteps just beyond the door. Just then muffled voices filter into the room. "Can you hear them?"

Derek listens intently trying to hear what is being said, "No," he says as the door to their prison opens. Two men enter the room, the first man is Jason, the other the agents don't know. He walks up to Talbot and grabs her by the hair, then drags her, chair and all backwards about five steps, just far enough to prevent the second Unsub from being seen on camera. "You are the one with the ideas." He says to her, she holds her tongue, swallows her screams and resists the urge to make any smart remark that could get her killed on the spot. This was not what she expected. Nothing in this profile or what Maria had said on the video suggested another UnSub.

"What did you tell him?" He asks only inches from her face his voice raising in volume as he speaks, and spit flies out of his mouth, "those who lie to him, don't end quickly, those who lie to him must be reprimanded. He knows the truth; I will not let you mock him for his brilliance. He has seen the other world, he knows what they look like, and he will find how they communicate with us, and it seems you are the one they are communicating with."

"Leave her alone, she doesn't know anything." Derek hollers, "You two are looking at the one who knows their plans, she doesn't, let me show you. I'll explain everything."

The new guy looked over at Derek, "He thinks he is helping you," he says, then back hands Talbot, and turns to face Derek, "Do you really think I care a bit about the aliens, no, I just want to get inside your mind. And what better way to do that, that open it up." He says and walks around the camera before pulling Derek's chair back as well. "You have not given her anymore time." He says looking over at Talbot, "I have given Jason here permission to find the chip in her." He says as Jason get out a scalpel, "I just don't know why she thought she could convince him that his chip was in his elbow. See Agent Morgan, I know where they are, I've pulled them out of people before, but Jason here is still learning how to find them. He can't see the chips yet, but soon he will and then, well, that will be a great day. The day of the coming will be almost upon us."

Just then Talbot head butted Jason, and spit at the UnSub, "Go ahead, but please have the balls to do it yourself. You think you can kill me? That's what the Ghost thought, and I'm still here." Talbot hollers, "I've survived worse than you. Come on, take your best shot!" Talbot says, "I dare you to make me scream!" trying to fuel his ego, knowing that she could distract them so Derek could get out, now that he was slightly in the shadows.

"What, you aren't man enough to take me on." Talbot continues as the new UnSub joins Jason beside Talbot. She was hoping she could keep quiet long enough to let Derek get out. "Come on, do you leave all you dirty work for Jason?"

"No, Agent, he just likes to work down here," I prefer doing things myself, but there are some things that I can't do alone, and cleaning a body of flesh is not a one person job." He says as he approaches Talbot and runs his hands through her hair. She stays focused on the new threat trying to buy Derek more time to get free.

"You will learn your place in this room Agent, and I am the leader, and you are the submissive. You are going to beg me to forgive you before I am done with you."

"I'd rather rot." Talbot says just before he lands his first fist across her cheek. From that point on she says nothing. Keeps her lips tightly pressed close. Screams bubbled in her throat, but she keeps them quiet, she has to give Derek the time to get free. So she did, after each punch, even as her chair falls back she is quiet, and wordless. The UnSub lifts the chair and looks over to see that the other chair was empty. Derek has escaped.

"Where did he go?" The UnSub asks Talbot, but her consciousness is in and out, and her lungs burn with lack of air. He had beat her good, but she knew he had been holding back, she could feel that in his punches, and that was about to end. "Jason, go find the male."

"But, she needs to be taken, her time is up, she will expire soon." Jason says in reference to Maria.

"Fine, watch her, and keep her quiet." The UnSub says as he moves to turn off the camera. He then goes to Maria and undoes the straps that hold her. Once her hand is free, he moves to lift her up, just as her hand come out of nowhere and punches him in the neck. He gasps for air and falls, she crushed his wind pipe.

"Run!" Talbot shouts as Jason turns to pursue, Talbot releases the loudest and shrillest scream she can which causes him to cover his ears and shout at her, which she can't hear over her own cry.

* * *

><p>(out side the club)<p>

Aaron's phone rings, "What do you have for me Garcia?" he asks, followed by her talking to him, "Thanks keep looking.

"So," Rossi says, "What news?"

"No luck on Murphy, and the video just went off line. Time was up."

"Let's hope Maria has some fight left in her."

"I just hope that Morgan and Parker can keep themselves alive, and with luck Maria will survive."

"With luck?"

"Aaron we will have to face that fact that they may not survive this man." David states."

"I am not yet willing to give in on them."

"Then we best pray for a miracle for the pieces aren't comming together any faster, and Maria just ran out of time." David says.

"If Maria had seventy two hours, how long do Derek and Talbot have?" Aaron asks as they head for the door to the club.


	4. The Still

Chapter 4: The Still

(based upon the TV Series Criminal Minds)

(I do not own Criminal Minds, all characters are from Criminal Minds or based on character already created on Criminal Minds, I own only my imagination)

Maria ran for the door, not seeing strait, and threw herself at it, it opened, she could still hear the scream and she kept running, the agent got out, which meant she could too. She ran down corridor after corridor, until she ran head long into the man from the room.

"Maria," he say trying to get her attention, "Maria, where are the men? Where is Agent Parker?"

"Back there," she whispers, "She is screaming."

"Okay, Maria, listen to me, I know you hurt, but you have to go outside, the door is right there, go out and find a phone and call the police, can you do that, Maria?"

"I can," she whispers, "Where are you going?" she asks.

"Just go." Derek says and sends Maria outside to meet the police as they arrived moments later.

Derek could still hear her screaming, that at least told him she was still alive. He had hit her pretty hard while he got out. Derek still didn't know how she could take a beating like that and not make a sound. Just then Aaron and David came in to stand beside him.

"Morgan are you hurt?" Aaron asks.

"I don't know how Maria got out, but Talbot is still in there, and Hotch, there are two UnSubs."

"We realized that when Reid noticed the cuts were not all done by a right handed person, a few were done with the left hand, and they had more force to them. Where are they?"

"Follow me," Derek says and leads the way to the chamber in the basement of the abandoned mental facility.

"SILENCE!" Jason cries and strikes Talbot in the face with his fist. This made Talbot stop screaming. Her vision blurred again, but she was still conscious enough to hear him talking, "I can't hear them with you screaming, I must complete my mission, I must stop the invasion, and I must save the humans. I can't listen to them with you screaming. You won't do that again will you." He rattles one, "I will make sure of that." He says and grabs his scalpel. "You will pay for what you did, you will pay for making them go silent. I can't let you do that again."

"Can you hear them now?" Talbot whispers.

Jason stops, as footsteps sound outside the door, "do you hear them now Jason?" She asks again, "tell me what you hear, I can hear them Jason, I can. Tell me what they are saying, I can't understand them. I need you to tell me what you hear. Jason, look at me, and tell me what they are saying." She says getting his attention, "They want you to find his chip, he lied to you Jason, they don't want my chip, they want his chip, find his chip. He is the one holding out on you. Come on Jason, look me in the eyes and tell me what they are telling you."

Jason crouches down before Talbot, and with menacing eyes he whispers into her ear, "They are telling me to kill you, for you are one of them." He says and lifts the scalpel to the side of her throat, "They will take me once you are dead, that they have told me. Didn't you hear them?"

"No," Talbot says, "I didn't I was hoping to go with you." She says.

"NEVER!" He cries, and stands up with the scalpel held high.

BANG, BANG a gun fires. Jason looks to the door to see the male with others, "They have come for me," he says and falls to the ground dead.

"Talbot," Aaron says as he enters gun pointed at Jason, as Spencer and David enter, with Ashley and ten or so police officers. Derek goes to her with Aaron.

She lets out a breath, "Aaron, I said I wouldn't surrender."

"That you did," Aaron says as Derek gets Talbot free of the straps. "The paramedics are on their way."

"Derek," Talbot says sitting forward in the chair, "How are you?"

"Alive, because of you," He says, as Aaron's phone rings. It's Penelope.

"Hey Babygirl," Derek says as she is put on speaker phone.

"Don't you ever do that again," Penelope says.

"I'll try not to." Derek adds.

"Thanks Garcia," Talbot says, "I knew you would know something happened."

"Parker, will you be okay?"

"Yes, just get me out of this chair." She says and Aaron helps her up. "How's Maria?"

"Paramedics are with her now; she said you were screaming. Was he hurting you?" David asks.

"No," Talbot says as they exit the room and head up the stairs and away from the room of torture. "He wanted to hear the voices, so I screamed as loud as I could so he couldn't hear the voices. Maria crushed the other guys windpipe when he went to take her away. She is a strong one."

"So are you, but we have to get you to a hospital." Aaron says.

"No, Aaron, I have to tell you…" Talbot says and starts to cough.

"You are both going to the hospital, and getting fixed up, we will deal with everything else later."

"It's about her." Talbot says.

Aaron stills, "Later Parker, later."

"Don't trust her, she's responsible." Talbot says, "Aaron, they lost her yesterday, she was in the wind for twelve hours, she isn't safe. Get her out, now." Talbot says again this time overcome with a coughing fit. The paramedics get her on a gurney and into a ambulance which Spencer gets into, Aaron rides along with Derek, while the others follow in their SUV's.

The hospital is busy, but for the unit they are all in the waiting room to find out how their team mates are doing. Aaron emerges from the hall with a tired look on his face; Talbot and Derek were being stitched up. But what Talbot said makes him think about everything that was going on. He knew who Talbot was talking about, and the knowledge that she was in the wind tells him that Emily could be in jeopardy yet again. He had to talk to Clyde and warn him, but that would have to wait, he had to get back to his house before he could contact her, and that would have to wait a while. He walks into the waiting room and the whole team is waiting to know if they will see their team mates again. Just as Aaron exits Derek and Talbot are pushed to the waiting room in wheel chairs.

"It's procedure, where are you parked?" An orderly asks. Spencer leads them to the SUV's while Aaron fills out the paper work. He follows the group out to the vehicles, and gets in the SUV with Derek Talbot, and Penelope. Rossi stops by the window.

"If you guys are driving, then you may need one more set of eyes to get the drive shorter." David adds as Penelope jumps out of the front seat and in to the back.

"Happy to have you," She says in her quick seat change, which puts Derek in the middle in the back.

"Great now I get to be the crowded one," he says sarcastically to the group steeling a quick glance at Talbot who looked to be asleep already.

"Reid, Seaver, and JJ will meet us in D.C. when we get there in…"

"If you average 65mph, and take few stops, drive strait through on I-40 E, then it should take a day and fifteen hours, or thirty nine hours total." Talbot says from the back driver's side of the SUV where she appears to be asleep.

"Okay Reid." Derek jokes to Talbot.

"And Derek, be happy you get to be crowded between two beautiful women, for the duration of the drive." Aaron chuckles from the front seat.

"And pampered by one of them," Penelope says.

"With three drivers we should be back in no time." Aaron says and starts the long drive home.

"We like to talk about having the faith to be healed - what about the faith to be sick?" - Mike Mason

J.J. returns to the station to gather some extra things. As she is taking down pictures on the board something catches her eye, a picture is on the board that wasn't there before. She looks at it; it is a little girl of about two. She turns to an officer, does anyone know who put this up here?" she asks him, then includes the others in the room. The general response is no. JJ gathers the other case photos. Placing the strange photo in its own file for later questioning and heads to the elevator where the others are waiting. As the elevator starts to descend to the lover level Spencer seems perplexed. The elevator soon stops and lets them out. They head outside to the SUV's, Spencer turns before getting in his, "Guys I have to make a stop, so I'll see you on the plan." He adds jumps into the SUV and drives away.

He arrives shortly at Bennington Sanitarium. He enters the building, to escape the heat and heads to the desk, the nurse knows him from his last visit. "Umm," he starts but is cut off by the nurse.

"She is in her room, just this way Dr. Reid," she says remembering him. "She told us you would be stopping by since you were in the area; I think her last visitor told her that."

"Visitor?" Spencer questions softly, "Did you get the visitors name, "I believe so, I'll get it for you." She says and leaves him by his mother's door. He enters slowly, not wanting to cause her to startle and as always cautious of seeing her. "Mom, it's me Spencer."

"So you've come to see me. What brings you here?" she asks, "He said you would come, I didn't believe him, it was the wrong time of year for you to visit, but it looks like you are here, and he was correct in that analysis."

"Who mom, who was here?" Spencer asks.

"That man, I don't remember his name, he said you would need this," she says going to her desk and taking something out of the drawer, "He said you had to help him find her. He couldn't find her and needed your help. Then he gave me this. He said he had to find Ophelia, he said that Hamlet needed his Ophelia. I didn't know nor ask what that was supposed to mean, I figured you would know. So I took it to give to you if by chance you were to stop."

"Thank you mom," Spencer says taking the file folder.

"He called himself by a name in the book. Said a line that belonged to The Ghost, he said, 'pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing to what I shall unfold.'" Diana says then turns back to her book. "Did you do the reading I told you about? I have a class in a few minutes and can't afford to be late."

"Okay mom, I love you," he says as she digresses into herself. Spencer leaves the sanitarium. He gets in the SUV and remembers the Ghosts next set of lines

"So art thou to revenge what thou shalt hear…I am thy father's spirit, Doomed for a certain term to walk the night till foul crimes done in my days of nature are burnt and purged away, but that I am forbid to tell the secret of my prison house.- William Shakespeare." He whispers to himself then heads to the airport.


	5. The Return

The Return

(based upon the TV Series Criminal Minds)

(I do not own Criminal Minds, all characters are from Criminal Minds or based on character already created on Criminal Minds, I own only my imagination)

The SUV arrives back in D.C. and Talbot is not the only one happy to be back at home. Aaron drives to the air port, to get the cars. They all load up into their perspective cars and start them, when Aaron says to them all, "drive safe," he then waits for all the cars to leave. He watches as they go, seeing that some of them are quicker to leave than others. He waits for them all to leave then heads for home and a safe place to call Clyde.

Talbot drove home ready to go see Lilly and let Matt get back to his family. Once Lilly was in the car she got in, "Matt thank you this means the world to me. I don't know what I would do without you and Maggie."

"Happy to help Talli, just stay safe, if you need anything tell me, and always feel free to call. With you back in the Burro things will be different. I'll always be willing to keep her safe." Matt says, "you get home, and lock your doors."

"Always, I'll keep in touch." Talbot says, then backs out of the driveway and leaves for home. As she pulls into the driveway words catch her eye even in the dark, scrawled upon her door are the words, _Do not forget this visitation is but to whet thy almost blurred purpose,_ they were written in red, and looked drastic against her white door. Fear courses through her, she looks around cautiously then backs out of the drive way and heads to the BAU.

The parking lot is nearly empty when she gets there, she sees only one car, and knows who's it is. She pulls up next to it and waits for him to get out. Spencer gets out of his car and walks to hers. "We need to talk. I came as soon as I knew you were back." He says.

"Okay, inside though," Talbot says and gets out of her car, grabs Lilly from where she sleeps in the back seat and follows Spencer inside.

"I didn't know you had a child." Spencer says.

"You mean you didn't know I had any living children." Talbot corrects.

"Yes, who is this?" he asks as he looks at Lilly who is sound asleep.

"This is Lilly, she is just over one; her birthday was in May." Talbot says as the doors open to the bull pen. Talbot walks over to her desk, opens the bottom drawer and pulls out a file. "Let's go to the conference room and I'll show you the case, you may want to call Hotch, he needs to know something."

"What?" Spencer asks following her into the conference room.

Talbot was quiet as she set the file on the table, shifting to make sure Lilly was a sleep she whispers to Spencer. "The Ghost is back, and he is coming for me."

The Encounter

Spencer is calm as they stand and discuss the case of Talbot's Serial Killer stocker. "You think it best not to include the team. I have seen this before, and most often it ends badly when one tries to face a foe independently. The fact is—"

"Spencer!" Talbot broke in "Spencer, I came to you because you are smart and can help me."

"What is it that you need?" He asked.

"I need you to make sure my sister is safe. I have to disappear for a while. You can't tell anyone, and you have to keep me from being found."

"I only know one person who can help me do that." Spencer says as Garcia walks in to the room.

"I am tired and moody Reid, what is it so important that you had to call me in at 3:30 am? This had better be something not genius related." Penelope looks up. "Parker I didn't know you were here." She whispers, "And who is this?" She asks referring to the child in Talbot's arms.

"This is Lilly," Talbot says, "We need your help; we need to disappear for a while. Can you help us?"

"I called you here because I think with your computer skills; you can make her officially dead." Spencer said, "If you follow what I mean?"

"Make it a car accident," Aaron says as he enters the room. "Parker I have a new id for you. I will get you to safety and we will find him before he gets to anyone."

"Will Temperance be safe?" Talbot asks.

"She will be moved also. Don't worry Parker, Lilly and you will be safe, I will make sure of it." Aaron gave Talbot a new id and some credit cards, "we will find him, but right now we need to get you out of here, and some where he can't find you. Garcia, I want you to get all of this into the legal records," he says and hands her a slip of paper. "Spencer, I need you to go with Garcia and get a recording of the parking ramp so I can get Parker out of here."

"Aaron, he was at my house." Talbot says, "He was there, I don't know how he found me, but he did. I don't know how long we have before he knows I am here."

"Let's go, Garcia, fill me in later, I'll be back soon." Aaron says and leaves with Talbot and Lilly. "Don't worry Parker, we will get you somewhere safe, and we will catch him. I won't let him kill you, do you hear me?"

"Aaron, I have to tell you about Strause." Talbot says, and stops.

"What about her?" Aaron asks as he reaches for the door to the ramp.

"She was sick, and I think it's bad, but she is not the mole, I think it is someone else."

"Who?"

"Erickson," Talbot says, "Anna Erickson, she is the only one that has tried and succeed to evade me. I lost her location for thirteen hours, and that is when I found this." Talbot says, and hands Aaron a file, "Emily will be safe, this is proof to get Doyle, bring Emily home, you will find Doyle here, Anna was working with him. I'm sorry Aaron, but Strause isn't the problem, Erickson is. I wish I had better news." Talbot says.

"Thanks for the information. I will pursue Doyle, but first we have to get you to safety." Aaron says as his phone rings. "Hotchner."

"Bomb!" Spencer says and Aaron takes Talbot and pushes her up the stairs, "Her car is rigged, there is a bomb under her car, you have about four seconds to get away safely."

Aaron hangs up the phone and they take off back to the BAU bullpen as a loud explosion rocks the stair well. Aaron rings Garcia, "Garcia, make it a car explosion."

"Got it." She says.

"This way," Aaron says and he leads Talbot back to the bullpen. "The local police will here soon. Reid take Parker to the conference room, and put together a profile for this Ghost, we need to get her out of here, and he is not going to let us do that easily. Garcia, we need to make this happen fast, have Morgan drive to the front entrance, call J.J. and have her come in here. We need to make this ghost think that J.J. came in alone, but appears to leave with Morgan. We will send Talbot out with Morgan, and Lilly will go with, I just don't know how yet."

"A go bag," Talbot says, "She will fit, and J.J. will come in with one."

"I won't let you put your daughter in a go bag."

"To save Jack from the Reaper you told him to go hide in a cabinet, what, may I ask is the difference here." Talbot says, "She is all I have left Aaron. Either we both leave or we both stay."

"Then a go bag it is." He says. "Get her ready, when Morgan gets here, you are leaving, we need to move quickly, the sooner we have you in the wind the sooner we can find The Ghost and have you safe once again."


End file.
